PCA 289: Sadlier-Olsen Family Collection, Ca. 1898-2001 (Bulk 1898-1950)

Alaska State Library Historical Collections

Guide to Collection

Sadlier, Joseph B.

Sadlier-Olsen Family Collection, ca. 1898-2001 (bulk 1898-1950)

PCA 289

230 Photographs, B&W Processed: May 2000 Manuscript materials By: Gladi Kulp 1 Video 1 Cassette tape (interview)

ACQUISITION: Joseph B. Sadlier donated the photographs to the Alaska State Library in February 1999 and January 2000, Accession Nos. 1999-2, 2000-02. In 2002 he donated a copy of the video, Return of LST-325, and congratulatory letters/message, Accession #2002-26. Earlier Accession Nos. 1991-058, 1992-3.

ACCESS: The photographs may be viewed, however, they may not be photocopied.

COPYRIGHT: Request for permission to publish or reproduce material from the collection should be discussed with the Librarian.

PROCESSING: Photographs are numbered and sleeved in Mylar. Manuscript material is housed with the collection. The video was added in 2002. A partial inventory is available.

Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Division of Libraries, Archives & Museums P.O. Box 110571  Juneau  Alaska 99811-0571  (907) 465-2925  Fax: (907) 465-2990 PCA 289: Sadlier-Olsen Family Collection, ca. 1898-2001 (bulk 1898-1950) Alaska State Library

Biographical Note

Edith and Byron Olsen, grandparents of Joe Sadlier, were both born in Minnesota. Edith’s family goes back to the Revolutionary days. Byron’s parents came from Norway and Sweden. Byron Olsen went to the Colorado School of Mines and received a degree in Civil Engineering. Byron died February 14, 1927 and Edith died in Ketchikan in 1948 or 1949.

Byron Olsen was a mine superintendent in the Sacramento, Calif. gold fields. He went to the Yukon (date unknown). It is said that he carried Crystal [Snow] Jenne over the Chilkoot Pass as she was only about two years old. The Olsens were close friends of the Snow and Jenne families.

Edith and Byron Olsen had five children: Wade, Clarence, Dorothy, Forrest and Winona (Betty). Forrest died when he was eleven. The family lived in a log cabin halfway between Skagway and Whitehorse (Yukon). Byron worked as a Civil Engineer on the railroad [White Pass and Yukon?].

They moved to Thane, near Juneau, around 1911. He was superintendent of building the Alaska Gastineau Mine. They lived in a tent the first winter until the first company house was built. After it was completed, they moved to Salmon Creek where Byron worked on the [Salmon Creek?] dam project, then Annex Creek.

When Byron’s health started to fail they moved back to Juneau and bought the Zynda Hotel, later called the Juneau Hotel. Later, they sold the hotel and bought a large home above Main St., which they turned into a boarding house. Edith cooked and ran the boarding house. After Byron died Betty took care of Edith; they moved to Ketchikan about 1932.

Scope and Contents Note

The photographs follow the Olsen and Sadlier families and their lives in Alaska from 1898-1990, but primarily from 1898 to the 1950’s. Manuscript materials include Joe Sadlier’s field notes from his work in the Land Office survey party (Federal), Ryus Drugstore (Ketchikan) notes, correspondence, poetry by Joe Sadlier, and other memorabilia. A taped interview with Joe Sadlier conducted by Marie Darlin, January 7, 2000 and a video of the return of the LST-325 are also included.

http://www.library.alaska.gov/hist/hist_docs/finding_aids/PCA289.pdf PCA 289: Sadlier-Olsen Family Collection, ca. 1898-2001 (bulk 1898-1950) Alaska State Library

Inventory (partial)

Photographs:

[Draft of an inventory is located in the front of the collection.]

Photos 176-190 are taken in the Juneau Fire Hall, 1950. Photos are described left to right unless otherwise noted.

1 Edith Olsen, stage outfit in Yukon. The Olsens, Jennes and Snows were friends and performed together.

5 2nd from left, Edith Olsen, 3rd Ben Olsen, 4th Dorothy Olsen, 6th Byron Olsen, 7th Wade? Olsen.

6 Construction of Alaska Gastineau Mine

21 On left Byron Olsen at entrance to Alaska Gastineau Mine

26 Construction of the Alaska Gastineau Mine

27 Satko standing in front of garden

28 On Left Byron Olsen

30 Byron Olson (Grandfather of Joe Sadlier)

31 Gold Creek & tram to Perseverance, or tram to Salmon Creek Dam

32 Thane

33 Alaska-Juneau Mine strike, mid-30’s

37 Clarence Olsen, Betty Olsen, Dorothy Olsen

39 Byron & Edith Olsen at Auke Lake

45 AJ Miners, 4th of July “Day Off”, Foreground Byron Olsen

46 AJ Miners, 4th of July “Day Off”

55A Alaska-Gastineau Mill, “ The Tipple”

55B Alaska-Gastineau, Shift change

56A Alaska-Gastineau Mill, “ The Tipple”

56B Alaska-Gastineau Construction

57 Byron Olsen, Mine shaft, Alaska Gastineau Mine

64 Alaska Gastineau Mine

65 Clarence Olsen

66 Will Rogers and Wiley Post

67 Far Right, Will Rogers

69 Hauling Freight, Wade Olsen

77 Tanana?

91 2nd from the Right, Front row, Betty Olsen, Probably 3rd grade, Thane

92 4th from the Right, Front row, Betty Olsen, Thane

96 Kodiak

98 Joe Sadlier, US Customs Agent, Arnette Island, 1948

99 J.H. Sadlier and Dorothy Olsen-Sadlier, Pelican 1959

100 Curtis Kirchoffer, George Hanna (Brother of Marie Darlins)

101 George Hanna, Elwin Wright, Curt Kirchoffer, Unknown, Ivan Daroff

102 Mt. Juneau Trail “Break Time”, Ivan Daroff, George Hanna, Curt Kirchoffer, Unknown

103 Curt, Kirchoffer, Unknown, Elwin Wright, Iran Daroff, Joe Sadlier

104 A & G Mine & Thane

105 St. Paul (Pribiloff), SS Roosevelt, Seal patrol

108 4th of July, Juneau ballpark, year?

109 Wade Olsen,Thane, Planked Main St. to Suicide Falls

110 Family Picnic

111 Family Picnic, 3rd from Left Betty Olsen, 5th J. H. Sadlier, 6th Dorothy Olsen, 8th Edith Olsen

112 Wade Olsen, Auke Lake

113 1944 Forest Service Trail Crew, Elwin Wright, Ivan Daroff, Curt Kirchoffer, George Hanna, Photo by Joe Sadlier

114 First Air Mail, Arrived in Ketchikan, AK, 1st Left, Emmett Ryus

115 St. Paul School, Prebloff Island

116 St. Paul School, Prebloff Island

117 St. Paul School

139 Wade Olsen, Thane

140 Survey Crew 1920,Cal, Joe H. Sadlier, Emmett Ryus,

141 Survey Crew 1920, Far Right Emmett Ryas

142 Edith Olsen

143 Survey Crew 1920 Joe N. Sadlier, Lal, Unknown, Emmett Ryus

144 Sledding on White Pass- Yukon R. R., Wade Olsen, Clarence Olsen, Dorothy Olsen, Unknown, Forrest

145 Clarence Olsen 146 Wade Olsen

147 The Ryus Family,(Helen, Ruth, Emmett), Ketchikan AK

151 Emmett Ryus and family, Ketchikan AK

155 Forrest Olsen

156 Middle Emmett Ryus

157 Left Wade Olsen

158 Joe H. Sadlier, Dorothy Olsen 1925

159 Joe H Sadlier, holding Tom Sadlier (his brother Jim’s son).

160 Joe Sadlier summer 1941 Ketchikan

161 Joe Sadlier wth girlfriend

162 Byron Olsen

163 Dorothy & Joe H. Sadler Pelican 1959

164 4 Generations, Joe Sadlier, Dorothy Olsen-Sadlier, Edith Olsen, Marmie

165 2nd from Left Dorothy Olsen, Serving hot dogs, Hoonah AK, 4th of July C.A. 1919

166 Betty Olsen with ball player

167 Betty Olsen, Clarence Olsen, Dorothy Olsen

168 Betty Olsen

169 Dorothy Olsen

170 Left, Wade Olsen

171 Right, Dorothy Olsen 172 Clarence Olsen, Dorothy Olsen, Betty Olsen

173 Forrest Olsen

Photos 176-190 are taken in the Juneau Fire Hall, 1950. Photos are described left to right unless otherwise noted.

176 Unknown, Phil Berthal, unknown, Erv Hagerup, unknown, Joe Sadlier, unknown, unknown, Lee Lucas, Bill Niederhauser, unknown, unknown, Skip McKinnon

[Above, there are 14 people in the photo but only 13 listed]

177 Fire Chief Minard Mills, distributing money for fire calls, 1950, Juneau Fire Hall: Unknown, John Morrison, Joe H. Sadlier, Lee Lucas, Fire Chief, Minard Mills

178 Dewey Baker distributing money for fire calls, 1950, Juneau Fire Hall. Seated: Bill Nederhouser, Dewey Baker, Stu Houston, Skip McKinnon

179 Unknown, Joe Sadlier, Unknowns, Stu Houston, Skip McKinnon

180 Left to right: Fire Chief, Minard Mills, Jimmy Orme, Unknown

181 John Morrison, Phil Berthal, Lee Lucas, Fire Chief, Minard Mills,

182 Joe Sadlier (plaid shirt), Skip McKinnon (tilted chair)

183 Seated at desk: John Morrison, Fire Chief Minard Mills

184 Seated at left: Joe Sadlier, seated center: Fire Chief Minard Mills

185 Seated: Fire Chief, Minard Mills, standing: John Morrison

186 Unknowns

187 Seated at desk: John Morrison, Fire Chief Minard Mills

188 Left to right: John Morrison, Unknown, Fire Chief Minard Mills, Lee Lucas

189 Left to right: John Morrison, Unknown, Fire Chief Minard Mills, Lee Lucas

190 Unknowns

Folder 5 contains photographs numbered 191-231; these include miscellaneous postcards, reprints, and photographs of people

Documents:

Folder 6: K.K.K. Minstrel Show, Kennecott, Alaska, program and photograph J.H. Sadlier diary, 1920, Survey Party, Land Office, U.S. Government Correspondence, ephemera, poetry, article: “The Year Was 1944 and They Were the Forest Service’

Folder 7: Taped interview with Joe Sadlier by Marie Darlin, January 2000

Folder 8: [Accession #2002-26]

Video: Return of LST-325, by the History Channel Correspondence: 2 letters and one message of congratulations for voyage of LST-325 from: George W. Bush, President Anthony J. Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Conversation with Joe Sadlier, Ketchikan, 2/10/99:

Photos:

Lady with frying pan is probably a café in Dawson. Ladies on wagon - Dawson

Grandparents (maternal): Byron and Edith Olsen Good friends with the Jennes Edith (with bowler hat) – theatrical production with the Jennes Lived in Dawson, etc.

Forrest Olsen (uncle) died at age 11 of?? – looked for grave in Dawson? – did not find

Mother – lived in Cassiar until she was 9

g: hist/pca’s/pca289.doc 4/16/02. gk

http://www.library.alaska.gov/hist/hist_docs/finding_aids/PCA289.pdf